Common Interview Questions
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Review these typical
interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the
questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.
(Excerpted from the book The Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D.
Ford, Ph.D, published by The Management Advantage, Inc.)
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1. Tell me
about yourself: The most often asked
question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your
mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related
items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs
you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start
with the item farthest back and work up to the present.
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2. Why did
you leave your last job? Stay positive
regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with
management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the
organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and
talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to
do something special or other forward-looking reasons.
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3. What
experience do you have in this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If
you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.
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4. Do you
consider yourself successful? You should
always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you
have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.
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5. What do
co-workers say about you? Be prepared
with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a
paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I
was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having
said it at the interview herself.
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6. What do
you know about this organization? This
question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the
interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are
the current issues and who are the major players?
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7. What have
you done to improve your knowledge in the last year? Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job.
A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement.
Have some good ones handy to mention.
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8. Are you
applying for other jobs? Be honest
but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and
what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.
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9. Why do
you want to work for this organization? This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on
the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely
important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career
goals.
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10. Do you
know anyone who works for us? Be aware of
the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your
answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to
mention a friend only if they are well thought of.
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11. What
kind of salary do you need? A loaded
question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer
first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough
question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the
interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend
on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.
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12. Are you
a team player? You are, of course, a
team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often
perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence
of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone.
This is a key point.
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13. How long
would you expect to work for us if hired? Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work:
I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good
job.
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14. Have you
ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that? This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem
like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the
right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual
who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization.
Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.
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15. What is
your philosophy towards work? The
interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you
have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer
that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the
organization.
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16. If you
had enough money to retire right now, would you? Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is
the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.
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17. Have you
ever been asked to leave a position? If
you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative
things about the people or organization involved.
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18. Explain
how you would be an asset to this organization You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a
chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being
discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.
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19. Why
should we hire you? Point out how your
assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates
to make a comparison.
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20. Tell me
about a suggestion you have made Have a good
one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then
considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real
plus.
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21. What
irritates you about co-workers? This is a
trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that
irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is
great.
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22. What is
your greatest strength? Numerous
answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to
prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure,
Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your
leadership skills, Your positive attitude
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23. Tell me
about your dream job. Stay away from
a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is
it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the
suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best
is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like
the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work.
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24. Why do
you think you would do well at this job? Give several reasons and include skills, experience and
interest.
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25. What are
you looking for in a job? See answer #
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26. What
kind of person would you refuse to work with? Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the
organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections
will label you as a whiner.
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27. What is
more important to you: the money or the work? Money is always important, but the work is the most
important. There is no better answer.
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28. What
would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is? There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy,
Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience,
Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver
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29. Tell me
about a problem you had with a supervisor Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak
ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former
boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop
a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.
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30. What has
disappointed you about a job? Don’t get
trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a
challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract,
which would have given you more responsibility.
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31. Tell me
about your ability to work under pressure. You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure.
Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.
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32. Do your
skills match this job or another job more closely? Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you
may want another job more than this one.
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33. What
motivates you to do your best on the job? This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good
examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition
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34. Are you
willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends? This is up to you. Be totally honest.
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35. How
would you know you were successful on this job? Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for
yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that
you are successful
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36. Would
you be willing to relocate if required? You should be clear on this with your family prior to the
interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just
to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems
later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future
grief.
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37. Are you
willing to put the interests of the organization ahead ofyour own? This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not
worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.
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38. Describe
your management style. Try to avoid
labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or
consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which
management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it
says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits
all.
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39. What
have you learned from mistakes on the job? Here you have to come up with something or you strain
credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson
learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project
and thus throwing coordination off.
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40. Do you
have any blind spots? Trick
question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do
not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own
discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.
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41. If you
were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for? Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you
have.
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42. Do you
think you are overqualified for this position? Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very
well qualified for the position.
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43. How do
you propose to compensate for your lack of experience? First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not
know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard
working quick learner.
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44. What
qualities do you look for in a boss? Be
generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor,
fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think
they have these traits.
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45. Tell me
about a time when you helped resolve a dispute betweenothers. Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving
technique and not the dispute you settled.
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46. What
position do you prefer on a team working on a project? Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point
that out.
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47. Describe
your work ethic. Emphasize benefits to
the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work
hard but enjoy your work are good.
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48. What has
been your biggest professional disappointment? Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your
control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.
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49. Tell me
about the most fun you have had on the job. Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the
organization.
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50. Do you
have any questions for me? Always have
some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the
organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What
type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.
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